Frank “convinced” he’ll lead Tottenham into North London derby despite Newcastle defeat | OneFootball

Thomas Frank remained “convinced” he would lead Tottenham in the North London derby against Arsenal, despite his side’s 2–1 Premier League defeat to Newcastle.

The loss leaves Spurs sitting five points above the relegation zone after West Ham’s 1–1 draw over Manchester United. Despite the growing pressure, Frank believes he will remain in charge for the clash against the Gunners.

“I’m convinced I will still be in charge [for the Arsenal game],” said Frank. “I understand the question, and I understand it’s easy to point at me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff.

“It’s everyone. If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows, directors, ownership, myself, what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”

Asked if he was the right man for the job, Frank explained he was: “1000% sure. I am also 1000% sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this, with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this, and with what we’ve been facing.

“I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.

“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together.

“That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me, and that is the fans. We’ve got to get through this.”

Wilson Odobert’s injury will be a concern for Frank, as another player joins his injury list, with Odobert a key player over the last couple of weeks.

“No [update], not yet,” explained the head coach. “I hope it’s nothing too serious, but I don’t know what it can be. Of course, I hope it’s not a serious injury to a 20-year-old young player.”